All eligible international travellers who wish to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program must apply for authorization.

This US visa for Australian citizens, and other qualified countries, is not a visa as such but a travel authorization. That means you can ONLY travel on it – do not use it for any other type of purpose!

You can apply for ETSA any time before boarding your flight, but it’s best to do it at least 72 hours before.

It’s very important that you have the ESTA and a record of your approval number. Have the paperwork with you (just in case) when you go to depart.

You will be asked if you have your ESTA during check in and won’t be allowed on the plane without it.

We’ve been caught out before and they were not letting us past the check in counter until we found our ESTA approval number.

If you want to stay in the USA longer than 90 days, or if you plan on also visiting neighbouring countries, the US visa situation is a little complicated.

IMPORTANT:

Once you hit USA soil, your 90 days starts ticking, but it does NOT reset if you cross the border to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean.

And remember, if you stop off in Hawaii on the way to mainland USA, your 90 days starts ticking in Hawaii.

It’s so important you plan your trip around this or you could get deported for overstaying your visa!

Waikiki Beach, Hawaii

The ESTA is valid for two years, which means you get multiple entries on the one visa, but you must leave reasonable time between your 90-day visits so it doesn’t look like you are trying to live in America.

Be sure you keep a record of your ESTA number. You can always check it online to see how current it is.

Other US Visas

If you want to stay longer in the United States, you will have to look at other US tourist visas.

If you want to visit New England in the Fall (spectacular) you could fly into New York and spend a week there, then hire a car to drive into New England, stopping at Boston along the way.

If you want to do the theme parks, you could fly into Orlando and spend time there, then visit some Florida beaches (our fave so far is Clearwater) and maybe drive to the Florida Keys. Or even drive up to Charleston and Savannah.

If you are lucky enough to have more time to tour America, say 6, 8 or even 12 weeks then you have a lot more options!

3. Research Activities & Things to Do in the USA

Universal Orlando – Wizarding World of Harry Potter,

The United States of America is the third most populous country in the world.

It’s also a popular travel destination for tourists (although they have seen a decline since 2016.)

The popularity of the USA as a travel destination can mean long lines and booked out tours.

So, it’s important that once you have planned your USA itinerary, you research whatever activities and attractions you do not want to miss!

Doing careful research on things to do in the USA and popular US attractions will save you time AND money and help you find amazing spots like this rooftop bar in Downtown LA.

Sunset from the Perch Rooftop Bar in Downtown LA

For most people, winging it on a trip to the USA is not a great idea.

We tend to go with the flow a lot, but we have time on our side and we live in the country. We have way more flexibility.

My parents visited in May and we planned a 4-week road trip itinerary from Dallas to Boston including booking accommodation and activities and put it all into a Google Drive Spreadsheet so we could collaborate and plan together.

You don’t want to mess up short term holidays for dream trips.

Be sure to stay connected to us, as we are collecting a mass of information on travel in the USA. We love to share our insider tips and stories to help you have the best travel experiences ever.

You can subscribe to our Free VIP email tribe in the form below so you don’t miss anything:

Hot Tip:

Plan plenty of time in between your flights so you can make your connections.

NO, two hours is not enough time to get off an international flight in LA or San Francisco and catch your domestic connection!

I cannot tell you how many times I have sprinted through various airports in the US, especially challenging with kids!

When you clear immigration you must pick up your luggage and go through security again for your connecting flight, even though you are in the same airport.

In the US, they don’t have separate airports for domestic and international. They are housed in the same section, so it means no water bottles (with water) coming through, and long and chaotic security lines.

Be prepared to get undressed – lose your shoes, belts and jackets.

Sunset at Pacific Beach in San Diego

When flying between major cities, you can usually get direct flights. Outside of that, there is higher possibility you will have to change planes.

Factor this into your itinerary and travelling time.

You won’t need to clear immigration when you leave the country which is strange.

Immigration coming in to the US has mostly been slow.

LAX has improved somewhat with my recent entries, but most of the international flights coming into LA seem to land at the same time early in the morning!

Parents

If you have young kids, make sure they have been to the toilet on the plane and fed, as you’ll be standing in long lines clearing customs!

We know what’s it like to get off a long flight with a tired, grump and hungry kid who always needs to go to the toilet at the most inappropriate times!

For us, Dallas by far has been the best. Less flights landing at once, and quicker through immigration.

Be friendly and polite to the custom officers. Even though you have your ESTA or tourist visas final entry permission is up to the custom officers.

Searching Flights to the USA

Boston Common on Memorial Day

Check Skyscanner or Momondo to find great deals on flights to the USA. Then go direct to the airlines own website.

And don’t forget to pop into your local travel agent. They can have great deals.

My parents saved $900 on their flights to the US by popping into Flight Centre just to check and there was a surprise sale on.

Domestic flights within the US are frequent, and you can fly almost anywhere. They are competitively priced, although I find quite expensive to what they used to be.

But they are notorious for charging you with extra fees – like baggage.

You’ll have to pay $25 to check in any luggage – you don’t get any luggage allowance unless you have status.

Some airlines, like United Airlines, will now charge you for overhead baggage on the plane.

Unlike Australia, however, they do not weigh your check in luggage. Now I understand how so many travellers in the US can travel carry-on luggage only.

If you have the time, it’s possible to cross the country by train travel, seeing a lot more than you would from a plane.

Bus Travel in the USA

Buses and coaches run between major cities and serve some rural areas.

Greyhound is the largest provider, covering all 48 states as well as Canada and Mexico.

Tickets can be bought online, at bus stations, over the phone or at some convenience stores. You can get deals sometimes booking online. I’ve ridden the Greyhound once and that was enough.

Megabus, is a cheap bus service that is often raved about, mostly for the incredible deals you can pick up – like $1 fares.

Totally worth it when you can snag a deal like that. They serve more than 100 cities.

USA Road Trips and Car Rental

Vermont in the fall

America really is a driving destination, except if you are visiting major cities like New York or Chicago.

But to be honest, when you visit the USA you will have a better experience in most places when you road trip USA with your own vehicle.

Good news is fuel is cheap!

We have always found the best car rental deals in the US with RentalCars.com (using them since 2007).

Be sure to check with the rental company on collection what the fuel costs are – sometimes you can get an excellent rate if you buy a tank of fuel upon collection. That way you can return it empty and secure yourself against running late and not being able to top up the fuel and so pay premium price.

GPS may be a good ad on service if you have limited Wi-Fi on your phone and can’t access Google Maps. (Um, what did we do before Google Maps – oh that’s right, paper maps!)

Put all drivers on the rental agreement (you may have to pay per additional driver)

Although you may pay extra, sometimes one way drop offs may work in your favour.

Be sure to thoroughly inspect your car and record any defects you see before you leave with your rental car. Capture photos with your phone.

Important Information About Rental Car Excess

You may snag an unbelievably cheap rental car deal on the internet for your USA road trip, but when you arrive to pick up the car, you learn that it has minimal insurance coverage and huge excess fees.

You’ll be offered collision damage waiver policies which can double your daily rate. Not such a great deal after all.

We’ve been caught out with this before, arriving after a long flight, tired and flustered and just saying yes (with a grunt) without realising we could get it way cheaper elsewhere.

Rental car companies know this will happen and it’s how they lure you in with cheaper daily rental rates.

You can get cheaper collision damage waiver (or excess waivers) through other insurance providers.

We have a discount code exclusive for our readers offering up to 10% off Allianz Comprehensive Travel Insurance Policies. Just use the code YTRAVEL online or over the phone! Note: Up to 10% means if there is already a discount running on the policy, the code will make the difference up to 10% in total.

On the road in Colorado

Look out for toll costs – we paid nearly $60 in tolls driving from North Carolina to New England on Interstate 95. We were not expecting that at all, so you’ve been warned.

The I-95 between DC and New England is dreadful.

Check the law in the state you are visiting to see if you’ll need an international drivers licence. We’ve never needed one, but we have mostly always driven in our own vehicle or had a US driver’s licence. Best to know for sure.

Bus Tours and Group Tours

If a bus tour is more your thing, or small group independent USA tours, check out these companies:

Wi-Fi Service Providers

If you are an intense internet user and want your own Wi-Fi connection, there are a couple of options:

Roaming devices like WiWander and SkyRoam will give you that, although I feel they can be expensive for travellers on a holiday. I prefer WiWander. You get more data with them and the connection was super-fast. SkyRoam for me have been an underperformer.

Pop into a Verizon store in the US (the best service connection) or AT&T and by a local sim card with a short-term plan. When we visited Denver in 2016 on a short trip, we got a $60 plan which gave us unlimited Wi-Fi, and local calls and texts for the month.

Double check when you sign up to any plan, but the plan may include free texts to international numbers.

Our plans with Verizon do, which is great for when I quickly want to tell my Mum something.

8. Accessing Your Money on your USA Trip

Akaka Falls, Big Island of Hawaii

Accessing your money in the States will be, in part, dependent on what kind of cards you have back home.

You won’t be charged any fees when using the card like a credit card AND you’ll earn points.

You also have low fees when withdrawing money from an ATM. Be sure to withdraw large amounts at a time, so you don’t get stung with too many fees.

You will need some cash on hand when you travel in the United States to pay for all those tips!

Hot Tip:

If you can access a bank account in the USA, the best way to access your money is to transfer money using OFX. They are by far my preferred way and have saved me hundreds of dollars in fees and good conversion rates.

You may be able to pay for accommodation and tours using OFX and pay via direct deposits.

9. Cost of Travel in America

It’s a clever idea to know what the costs of travel in America will be before you leave so that you save and bring enough spending money.

Accommodation:

Low budget: $50 – $100 a night

Mid-range: $100- $250 a night

High: $250+

Airbnb: $80 + (varies widely depending on type of property)

Food

This can vary widely depending on where you are visiting. Popular destinations will be much higher.

Fast food: < $6

Coffee:

$2 for drip

$3.50+ for espresso

Alcohol:

$5+ pint of beer (look for happy hour prices and local bars to reduce it)

$5-10 glass of wine

Healthy takeout meals: $7-10

Restaurants:

Appetisers, wings and burgers: $5-10

Entree (main meals): $12-$18 ($25 for classier restaurants)

Transport

Fuel: Will vary state by state. Here in North Carolina it’s currently (Feb, 2018) around $2.20 a gallon, which is about 60 cents a litre. California can be double that. The GasBuddy app can help you find good fuel prices.

Flights: avg around $120 a leg (what we have experienced so far, but can vary widely)

Buses: as mentioned with Megabus you can get as little as $1, but also fares around $10. My greyhound trip from Huntsville to Nashville (2.5 hours) was $30

Rental cars:

Budget: approx $200 per week (good for 2 people + luggage). We’ve had to upgrade before when arriving to see our budget car and realising we couldn’t fit us all in with our luggage.

Mid-range: approx$250 – $300 (good for 4 people + luggage)

High-end: approx$350 – $500

Train: Our 7 day unlimited pass to ride the New York Subway cost $32 p/p

Go down!

Sightseeing Costs

This is hard to give you a budget for as it does depend on your preferences, family size, type of activity, and city. Take advantage of the free activities (of which there are a lot of), free museum days and attraction days, and use sightseeing passes and check Groupon for any local deals.

But your careful research from step 3 above will give you a good understanding of these costs before you leave for your dream USA trip.

Two things to be aware of when preparing your finances for your trip to the USA

1.Taxes

Sales taxes are added onto the purchase price once you pay.

It’s super annoying and still catches me by surprise. Tax varies by state, but you can expect to add on anything from 0% to over 8% of the purchase price.2. Tips

Again, this is a cost to add on to your bill.

As an Australian, you are going to hate tipping and it can become costly. We’ll have a entire post on it with plenty of tips to help you as it can get confusing.

Basically, you are looking at 15-20% extra for any services you receive.

It’s one reason I prefer to stay in Airbnb’s and will prepare my own food or eat at take outs rather than restaurants. It can seriously eat up your travel money.

Here are a few tips specific to the USA:

Ladies, in the US, tampons are usually only of the applicator kind. Bring your own if you don’t like them. Otherwise, you can get them at Whole Foods stores and Trader Joes.

Electrical adaptors and voltage. This international travel plug adaptor lets you plug in your charger, phone, and laptop. USA operates on a 120V supply voltage and 60Hz. It can be dangerous to use an electrical appliance that is rated at a voltage different from the supply and it may affect the performance of your appliances. Your laptops, for example, will be much slower to charge. You may need to use a voltage converter or transformer whilst in USA.

Even if you are traveling in the summer, be sure to pack a cardigan or sweater. Americans are crazy on air conditioning so you will freeze whenever you step indoors.

Pack a comfortable pair of walking shoes and hiking shoes (more tips on finding the right travel shoes here). America is full of great cities and exceptional outdoor activities. You’ll be using those feet quite a bit – at least I hope you will.

Booking Your Trip to America

Accommodation: Book hotels and apartments in the USA directly on Booking.com, or read hotel reviews for the US on Trip Advisor.

Flights: Skyscanner and Momondo are time saving flight search engines and help you find your cheapest flight.

Car Rental: RentalCars.com is the world’s biggest car rental booking service that compares all the major brands.

Tours: Viator is a Trip Advisor owned company and offers small group tours to popular attractions.

Travel Insurance: Don’t leave home without it. It covers unexpected medical emergencies, trip cancellations, lost or damaged luggage by an airline etc. Get a quote from Alliance.

Travel Gear: Columbia has been making quality and affordable travel clothes and gear for over 70 years.

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We hope you found our USA trip planner post useful? Any questions or travel tips you having for visiting the USA please leave them in the comments section down below!

*Discount based on standard premium rates and applies to International Comprehensive policies only. Please note some discounts may have already been applied to premiums when a product is purchased through a certain channel (for example, online) (Original Discount). In such a case, this discount will equal the amount required to make up the difference between the Original Discount and the total discount offered under this voucher. Discount applies to standard premiums only. No discount will be applied to other premium components.

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About Caz

Caroline Makepeace is the co-founder of yTravel Blog. She loves helping people unplug from the chaos, follow their bliss, travel more and create better memories. She has a free travel planning toolkit to help you do just that!

Caz is the flighty Libran, bringing harmony to the family through crystals, meditation, and downward dogs (and the odd glass of wine at 5pm). It's all about the balance, right? Follow her on Instagram.

Questions & Comments

Beautiful! It’s a refreshing break to see you guys in jackets and mufflers in USA after seeing so much of your sunny photos of Australia 🙂 I’m really inspired to do a road through USA, and if I do get a chance to do it, I’m sure to follow your tips. Thanks so much!

I know!! It’s a big change for us being so cold. We went four years without really a winter so it was quite shocking and way too long! I’m dreading the winter this year already.

We hope we can offer you lots of tips for when you do come this way. We’ve just bought a truck and travel trailer to set off west full time so we’ll have lots of great stories to share. Great to see you again Renuka! I hope you are well